Loading machine



June 3, 1930. NEWDICK I 1,762,071

LOADING MACHINE OriginlFiled Febl l7, 192s 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 zzm/m 3 Sheet s Sheet 2 Zluwwtoz June 3, 1930.

N. A. NEWDICK' LOADING MACHINE Original Fi-led Feb.'l7, 1923 Patented June 3,

' Thisinvention relates toimprovements in loading machines, and is especially directed to leading machines of the type adapted particular-1y for use inconne'ction with the load ing. of; minerals in undergroundimines', and. in accordance f-with the" invention thereris provided a loading machine which includes an inclined gatheringeonveyor, having its i upper; end pivotally' supported s01 thatthe forward Or lower end of the-conveyorfwill -,have:a sweep-movementacross the floor of a mine,- the said conveyor being "formed to in- W i-clude" a "belt; which has? its I going and =-return runs disposed fat" similar v elevatioans,,an'd which, includes 1 laterally proj ecting'lfiiglits arranged :for traye'l throng ll (a plurality: of

longitudinally; extending rim-wayseifo mecl in connection: Withthe conveyor, Is proeket" means being formed-.at the endsof said-belt to maintain the latter inder propertens'ioh wand to effect-the driving thereei, the arrange Y merit of parts -'-being: suehth-at operating the conveyor willfs wing l orizontal-jly;"atroijnv :the pivotal mounting. atthe rear or upper end 1 h onveyor-and; advance the samez rear-c; lwardly through either of the mini-ways in the line ef draft ef-theymachine, and finally dis- 1v 3 charging the materials fromthe uppertor 7 rear end of. the gmachine, into suitable- ,con:

vey tg," means emp eyedr fe remeving the degree of tension upon thelink eoiweyor belt;

materials'iromthemine. i ,Ampng' the'obj 93 .02 for effecingthesiipport of the adjustable 'nos e sprocket proiidedhpontheforward de- I pressed end of'the gathering eonveyorframe," 'ivhere'in said sprocket is-mounted in a lo'ngithereof, anclithe liter-ward or nose endlofthe 1maehineWill-be bnoright into engagement with the loose or "semi-seliid. materials; to a be gathered, enabling; the flights carried by the belt of: the, convey r togsweep into engagement with thematerials, ,dIHJ/V the same upon revision 'of-an improyed mounting tudin-ally adj ustahle -Carrier"inountec'l connection with the "conveyor frame, :Whereby Wi son-the adjustment of the" carrier the 1 sprocket may-he positienedto placea proper or -themachine. 'Secend; ineenstrncting the said iadjuetable vspreeket. r Q emb ody eature cloned applieatiOiI Serial vo1; "619,582 'filed iteiiled for'abandoned applieation Serial No; 6'19,5 2,' fi led February 17, 1923;) 'zr'niyaiiplieatiba "file Eel arm my 5, 1929.; SeriaI No.33?;7171] of design 7 iop'erate with-the I peculiar form 10f coni veyor- I; belt employedfand to ire nder the'inachine e21 ception-ally staunch :and "durable: at the V for award end thereof.. Third, in;the gprovisio'ndfl of stripping plates -iormed; with the carrier .and conveyor frameiorLinSuring ii-the' idisengagement of the -ilinkso the co'nv'eyon-Joelt- :With theteeth 0161118111086 sprocket, whereby 3131161136117 jWiH beeasta-hout'the-sprocket. 'at lil) tion terminatingvatz its front end adepressed 0rl-flat extremity} which l iessiib 4 provision ofmeansior maintainin-g the for-7 material to beloaded, which me'ans embodies 1 1a 'substantia11-y U shaped reinforcing", strip 7 jstrip'is' formed Ito includee'laterally'extending J r=vwin gskprojecting inlfront of'thellowerz'ends v (of.the"runways'throughziwhichmateriallis -.advanced:in: passing Tthroughfthe. conveyor, V andin: constructing the lowerrend of'the 1 9 frame solthatWhile the 'same is exceptionally. 1 strong reason" of i the} reinforced edges 7 thereof, the same ,will: serveto operate sue-y ,e'ess fully and efiiciently onifloor's "of [friable condition, an improved construction being a provided'ffor preventing the nose end of the machine from-digging intosuch floorsarid I interliming with, the .side swinging niove- ,mentsthereof;

{This aPplication is filed 'in lieuot my aihan l Fe r ary 17; v:

@WVith these and-other objects aswill appearzasthedeseription projcee'dgthe nvention; eonsists in" the -novelifeatures of;

arrangementof parts, hereinafter fnllyf'de' scribed and, pQinted-outin;the appen ded enable 551155.150" j I ourthj in the provisionjof meaiis"1e whereby, the v-long'itudirially ad justalolfeiear-v e5 i which embodiesadownwardlylinelined pol? I Ward orinose end ofithe machine under the 5 1 construction, cembinatiens; ofnelementsarid' 1 --of: the machine.

part of this specification, in which similar characters of i'eference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several Views thereof -Figure1 is a top plan View of a'loading machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, 7

i Figure 2 ;is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a plan view disclosing on an enlarged scale the construction of the front end of the gathering conveyor, the vcover plate being removed to more fully disclose the-underlying structure,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the plane indicated by the line H of Figureitl, A t V Figure 5 is'a transverse. sectional view taken on-the line 5v5 of Figure 4, 1 a

l igure 6 i'sa side elevation of the nose sprocket carrier, and disclosing more particularly the belt stripping means, i

Figure 71s rad-transverse sectional View taken through the conveyor frame, the gathering conveyor belt and the guides'therefor. VReferriiig more particularly to the details of'the invention there is disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, particularly, a loading machine of the type set; forth in my prior Patent 11,715,469, granted J une 4,1929, and includes a supportingrbase or truck 1,.which is adapt- -edto travel upon a suitable frame or track way.2. Mountedupon the truck is a horizontally swinging table 3, which is pivoted V asat 4 in connection with the truck and arranged to swing horizontally thereover, therear end of the 'tablebeing supported forfree swinging movement upon rollers or a other, suitable anti-friction support 5. The forward end of the table is provided with brackets 6, which support for swinging move- ;ment' in-xa vertical planea journal 7 which ,is in the form of a yoke and terminates in ,an upstanding Vertical pivot 9, upon which .-is mounted for swinging movement the rear or upperend'of the gathering conveyor 10 By the provision of the :journal 7'it'wil'l be understood that the gathering' conveyor is capable of swinging horizontally about'the verticalrpivot Qand also of swinging vertically about the pivotal connection provided between'the' journal 7 and the brackets 6.

-' u The gatheringlconveyor is constructed to embody an elongated inclined frame 11 pre'ferably formed fromflsh eet metal plate and suitably reinforced by structural iron ribs 12. v The frame, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, includes a downwardly inclined intermediate portion 13, a substantially elevated and horizontally extending rear or discharge'portion "14, which seats upon and is swiveled to the ournal 7, while the lower end of the frame terminates in a flat, depressed forwardly extending nose extremity 15, arranged when the machineis in active operation, to rest .17 of the machine. "variety and is flexible in both horizontal and the sprocket 30.

upon the floor of a mine so as to penetrate and pass under a body of material to be loaded when the frame is swung horizontally, or fOI'CGClfOIWVaIdlY into and under said materials, u p p 7 a r Suitably-mounted upon the upper surface of the frame 11 and extending longitudinally thereof throughout itscentralportion, is, a

pair of chain orfbelt guides 16, which are adapted to receive the endless conveyor belt This belt is of'the link vertical planes so that it :Will be adapted to the curvature ofthe frame 11. In this instance the beltis formed to comprise a pluralitylof suitably placed flight carriers 18, which are provided attheir ends with vertical axles 19 arranged for thereception of rollers 20. which facilitate the movement of the belt through the guides 16 and serve to minimize friction losses. These carriers are formed with outwardly projecting portions 21, to which are boltedor otherwise secured laterally extending flights-22,v arranged to move in unison with the belt and to be advanced through a pair of spaced run-ways 23, extendinglongitudinally through the frame on opposite sides thereof and located between the guideslG and the sides 24 of the'fi'a'me ll; To flexibly unite the carriers 18, there are provided links 25 and 26, having grooved wear,blocks'27 placed therebetween. 7 j

[To drive the belt aii'operating motor 28 is mounted upon the table 3 and by suitable gearing power is imparted "from the motor 28 to a drive shaft 29 extending through the journal 7, and the upper endof theshaft 29 is connected witha drive sprocket 30, arranged at the upper end 14 of the frame and 'which is of such form that the'teeth thereof will be positioned to mesh'with the openings provided in the links 26 and recesses 31 formed in the fiight'carriers 18. It will be understood that the links '26 are properly spaced with'respect to the'carriers 18 to preserve the pitch of the chain and to enable the latterto properly engage and be driven'by sweeping engagement with the coal or other materials to be loaded, which flights will travel in an arcuate or substantially horizontal path and project into engagement with said materials, so that upon movement of the chain the materials engaged by the ate flights W111 [be adivezmced througii ee rot.

the alternately aveiielfle'rim-weys :23. 1-

there is prof 110. sup ort the nose sprocket w lded asproeketcarrier ior cva je33, which m ii-nstan c'eii's in the form 0' a casting'end I includes a torwerdlydispesed' clevi's extrem-- ity 34 hetween thez arms of which 1103B lower thread- .r -eza1-i enjd thereet positioned within hush-ding "block 37, arranged foriloitglitudiiialvmovei the belt to revolve freely: and with" but a rWithinYan 1eloI 1gateds1-ot ":38 fornred ilonwitudinaily infthenilower end-1 5* of the,

' Vizame '11; glheedges'o'ct theiblbck fiprbjetit laterallybeyond the, :slot 38 so thatwhen the FIHAU 39 provided qpon the threaded end of the 30011136 is tightened; frictional pressure will Joe-brought to bear upo'nthe forward-end of the carrier 33 tofretain the'latter in 's'et e I i Y need-e110. fit the carrier-3&directly,upon-the positions of: adjustment. Surrounding t'he bushing 35 and posiitioliedbet teen the wear plates is a; roller bearing 41, Whitlh: is received within the VerQ tiealfbo're 4201f the; sprocket 32," endvenables said sprocket hen rotated by. the action of miniinmn of friction; Itwil'l-benOted particularly by referenceto Figiires 3 and t, thatthe sprocket-is formed with upstanding circular *flang e435 Whioh-isengeged withfthe' V ripper ofthero1'1ers'20 provrlfd'edmpon the carriers' 18. It will loe m1derst'oocl that when" the eon'veyergis; in: operation, the forcing of 1 the machine into zmcl uponfa eoa'kpile 'or t'he' like places a: very leonsiclea'ahie strain :upon the flights, which in -;t1irn're'a'ct upon the sprocket 32. Thusfth flange 43;.se'rves-t0 guide the flights; and to: receive the. inward thrustthereefilrrcl'er' conditions f "ec't ml end of theme-chine areprotecteol by meahs of a cover plate Aflwhich is suitably secured as the same from thetallihg materials which a r'e' gathered by -th-e .maichine The cover plate 44 also serves in the"cepacity-of apleti OI mW1pQnwhieh an: operatormay Stand 'uncter*certain-oenditiohs in' t l le operation of 3 V 1" Ward beveled. eiicts thereof:termneteimme- .dieteiy adj aic'entrto the" flange 43, so. that as the sprocketj rotates; the rollers :20 -wi1-1;en- V ig'wgewith saidb a'rsfil' "arid-by their-presence e mechil e, {to release wedgedmaterlels ant to p'r'ek the same down into the pet of the 'mevin gflights.

5 "17:0 adjust the carrier and lt'he no' se sprockets A32 longitudinally, the said cerrier is formed with a horizontal-1y: extending: shelf 4'6 mid Upwardly extending sides 473 the :she1f46 being located in :ep'lane above the low-er arm of the clevis 34 so 'that the carrier will be adapted to the angle: existing in the frame 111 between the nose "extremity 1'5 endthe'in "elined intermediate portion: Placed ibe- 'nandto'} stabilize the: same for operation f,

t the forward ,3

gzrgem'entwiththe teeth of the sproeketyever I v heath this sheif is r of; fieiitgesjg. the

lower surfaces :thereoit being shaped to conv form to the I:urvatt re of? the frame" andv the i; I upper surfaces to the shape oftheshelf fi. 1 Similarly, wed-ges 49 garenprovi dedfbetween the si'd'es 47*ofthesheif andgthe iiorwardiyfl- 1 monvergi ngguides l6. Wedges=8-e d$9 ere 02E .prime 'importzmceiinproper-1y piecing -=the "carrier :33 uponthefm'a chine for active. 1 operation ia1;1'c1" to iPBIIiliflt i ofiithelorigitudinal Vides; a5 pocket into lwhich thejs'helf {o {the movement.

a, :It :Will? be-understooeli-rthe 'guides ixere, eompos'ed. of angle irons; and theiframell f :01 sheet metahigamdowingto" this ioonstruce 'tion,; 1 ery considerable practical- 7 difficulty vI 'wou'l d" beleilc'ountere'd if an'riattempft-rweref heframe 11 ftq'jthe olts 50-ezetendingthi ugh guides 16, the sa fin al zidjustment 0f the-gearriergas ,a whole f $oyfurther anchor the earrier 33i1nposition the )ki ng $170113; housing 52 of the; 4 Whieh'ak ing bolt 53i's1n0ur1ted'and employed i ",toconnecta pony'truck 541- the'underp a-rt" j j 0f. theffiofwaLrd-end of Fthe' maeh'ine whenth e x latter ioeing transported isprovidede with --ears.5l-5 which .pivot'elly-receive 'onefl'endiofa i "forward-1y,longitudinally:Lextendihgggscrew 56; which receives an" enlarged nutfifiggrooved i as atf 58fahc1 arrangedwt'orbepositioned tyithin L -;a.zhetch';5f9-forme-d in 'ez'webzfit), rising tom the shelf 4&6. By theinelusioni van iadjiustzible anchor is provided V v treta iril ingthe carrierin :setpositions *ef'tadjkustmentrI S A's shdwiiih Figlire 6.; the 'sides-of-i the C'ar- ".ri'eri include longitudinally extending strippingea-r561; as fShdWIla in Figulie ,3. I

These; bars are positioned so that .thez fob lth'e link's ofthe b'e'1t willi be forced-out OffQI-I 1 eo't-ning iundue wear onthe joflthe fbelt .ahdproducing a smooth and ireelyopemting l-zspro'eket constructio np Thefll'o'werfierm,20f i thezclevis' 7-34; is also formed With-3a. pair 20f vstrippipgfoams; 62, 1 which are Y recessed alon their lower edges;esI a 0'61;for the re'cepti'orie v .r r e if fll'i adjustment thereof-.5.ltgwillfbe seen that thej V saldizwedges apresent-;: smooth.; plane. fperperl- 3 idi'cular; s11rfajcesgf eorfiesponding-rto:fihe/sur- V 4 feeeszofthe she1f46 a h d 47-, and1-whieh: pros V t V r eao eerrier'may"be-placed withfreedom torsl d s I strippingbars 64 carried permanently by the nose extremity 15. This construction adapts the strippers to the adjustment of the car- 'rier33. 1

Another important feature of the inventionresides in reinforcing the outer edges of the'sheet metal plate constitutingthe nose extremity of the frame bylmeans o'f a U shaped casting 65, formed in' one or more sections. This casting has the upper surface thereof recessed as at66' to receive'the outer peripheryof the nose-extremity 15 A and. is

riveted thereto as at 67 The casting further includes an outwardly and downwardly incline'd portion 68 which provides an :elongate-d beveled surface 69, so jdisposed that as the gathering conveyor swings. bodily .horizontallythe materials under which the .nose

end of the machine passes press downwardly upon said inclined or beveled surface-69eand thereby 'maintain'the nose end of the machine in engagement with the floor and under v "the materials to be gathered, preventing climbing of the machine or the unduerais-ing there'offromthe floor.- The casting 65 ter- Tmin'ates rearwardly ina pair of laterally extendingwings 70, which are arranged to project across the front edges of the entrances to the run-Ways 23, reinforcing the edgesof said run-Ways and servmg o direct material toward or into the-run-ways; 1 Y

In the event that the floor over which the machine operates is in a partlcularly poor condition, that is, when the slate crumbles or disintegrates readily, Icover the bottom of the extremity 15 with a plate 71- upon which the weight'of the forward end of the gathering conveyor rests. This plate, produces *a relatively'wide area over which the weight'of the nose end is distributed, and enables the machine to readily slide over the floor,'as it could not do if'the weight were to be concentrated upon theouter-edges' of the casting 65.

i I "In summary, itfWill beobserved that the present invention"provides a loading machine ofthe character set forth with animproved adjustable means for mounting the nose sprocketthereoi": and wherein the nose sprocket itself is of such construction as to efficiently co-operate with the links of the gathering belt to insure the proper flexing and turning of the relatively heavy links of the belt around the sprocket, with but a minimum of friction, wear, or other power losses.

Moreover, by the formation of the casting with its elongated bevel surfaces and the laterally extending wings with their bevel surfaces a structure is produced which will positively. maintain itself beneath the mate rial to be loaded Without digging into or dis- 'tu rbing the conditionof the floorand at the same .timepermitting the employment of the plate 71 to, admit of the free lateral swinging of'the gathering conveyor. The plate 71 refceives the wear on the 'conveyor'incidentto its lateralmovement, and may be readily renewed from time to time.

After the .coal has been-gathered andadvanced through either one or the other of the run-ways 23,'the sameis discharged intoahopper 72 formed with the forward end of a delivery conveyor 73,-the frame 74 of:which being mounted-upon the table 3 to swing in unison therewith. The conveyor 73 includes longitudinally extending chains .75 united by transverse flights 76, which operate over the bottom of theframe and serveto advance ma- :terial out'of the hopper and through the lon- 'gitudinally extended elevated rear end 77 of the frame 74'. The chains 75. pass around drive'sprockets 78 mounted at the rear end of the frame 7% and beneath which a portable mine car may beplaced for receiving materials discharged from the machine. By'the use of cars of this type loaded coal may. be

quickly transportedout of the-mine to a suitable pointof discharge. 7

The cover plate 44. is provided with a downwardlyextending flange provided :on'the inside-thereof, with a-strip 86. This strlp is. so disposed that it constitutes in effect a continuation V of. thechain guides "16 so' tl1at the rollers 20 will be guided frame terminating at its lower end in a depressed noseextension, a conveyor belt mounted upon-'sald frame,Ja sprocket ar-.

ranged upon'said extension and around which said belt is trained, a carrier for said sprocket, means for adjusting said carrier longitudinally of said extension, and-strippmg means formed with said carrier and c0- operative with saidsprocketfor freeing the teeth of .the latter from said belt. v

2. In a loading machine, a gathering conengagement. with *veyor comprising a downwardly inclined frame termmatmg 1n a fiat depressed nose extremity, a conveyor belt mounted upon said frame, asprocket situated upon said nose extremity and around which saidbelt is trained,

a carrier for said sprocket adjustably mounted upon'said nose extremity and strippers mounted adjacent to said carrier for positively effecting'the release of said belt fro the teeth of said'sprocket. l a

. 3. In a loading machine, a gathering conveyor constituting an elongated downwardly inclined frame terminating at its forward end in a depressed nose extremity, a conveyor belt carried by saidframe, longitudinally extending forwardly converging guides for said belt, a sprocket mounted, upon said nose 7 extremity and around Which said belt-is trained, a carrier for said sprocket suitably V mounted upon said frame, a11d Wedge means p interposed between saidcarrier and said i guides and between said carrier and the bot-1' a tom of said frame. I In testimony whereof I affixmy signature. 

